That Gold Ring
by st.elmo-lover
Summary: "Well, my Dallas will never be your age," she countered with a sad smile. Oneshot.


**Author's Note: Y'll know how I am with oneshots that are sad, and I'm giving you another one. So here it is. I hope you enjoy and don't get too mad at me if I make you cry or somethin'. :)**

**Disclaimer: Dallas doesn't belong to me.**

She twirled the heavy piece of metal in her hands. It was cold and foreboding but she wouldn't put it down. It was heavy, heavier then it usually was. It was heavy with memories of him and everything they had been through. It was heavy with his soul. The only thing that kept him alive for her.

She tossed it from one hand to the other, her mind wondering to all the old memories. The good and the bad. The happy and the sad.

A grim smile crossed her face as she slipped it onto her ring finger. It was a little big, but none the less a perfect fit. It was a perfect fit because it belonged to him. It belonged to him and so did she.

But not anymore. She belonged to this ring.

Because the ring was all she had left of him besides a few old pictures and a tattered, bloodied bullet holed shirt and jacket.

The air was cold as it beat on her cheeks, but her attention was on that ring. That one lone, gold ring. Fake gold of course, but gold none the less. It was worn at the sides, the places where she used to grab it to slide it on and off her finger.

So many times she had slid it on and off with threats of dropping him on his ass, but it never came true.

She'd throw it at him but it'd always find it's way back onto her finger again.

No one could stop it.

She could hear the distant voices, the yells and the sobs of anguish. She turned absent mindedly to look at the funeral playing out across the cemetery. She wondered who it was.

If it was some old woman who'd died of old age, or a young kid that had died of sickness. It was all the same wasn't it? Death was death and you couldn't stop it. No matter how hard you tried.

She'd figured that out the hard way.

And so had he.

She could feel the hot tears welling in her eyes and she willed them away as best she could. She wondered if they would freeze on her cheeks if she let them fall, but the thought soon passed as she looked below.

The grass had just started to grow back but it was already starting to die again, the promise of winter eating away at it.

The promise of winter seemed to eat away at everything.

She knelt.

Her hand coming down by her side to prop herself up on the cold ground as she squatted. For a few seconds she could have sworn she felt a heartbeat where her hand laid.

And then her sense came back.

No more heart beat. Not for him.

Not for either of them.

The funeral across the cemetery was dissipating and she watched as the families held each other as they walked back to their cars. Her heart beat was hard as she remembered his funeral not too long ago. They're hadn't been many people there, not important people anyway. But that's always how it went at a greaser's funeral.

Footsteps were strong and making their way towards her but she didn't move. There was no way in hell she would be chased out of her sanctuary..with him.

The footsteps stopped, she could feel whoever it was looking at her and she took a few seconds to turn around.

Her eyes fell on that of an old man. His face was old and wrinkled and held black spots of age.

Dallas would never get that old. He would always be 18. Always.

The old man didn't speak, didn't move. His black P-coat billowed in the wind and his light fluffy gray hair moved in every direction. He just stood and stared at her.

"I can remember when my Martha was your age." he spoke finally. His voice was soft yet strong and his face was pained with memory.

"Well, my Dallas will never be your age." she countered with a sad smile.

"Funny how life works." the old man sad with a smile of his own and a nod of his head.

"How'd it happen?" he asked as he walked even closer to get a look at the small simple head stone. Her head turned to look at it too.

"He was shot..." she trailed off, a bitter smile replacing her sad one. "17 times." she finished before turning to look at the old man as memories came rushing to her.

_A sob escaped her lips as she ran even faster. It was like she knew what was going to happen before it even did. She could feel her heart beating but she knew, somehow his wouldn't be in a matter of minutes._

_If she could just reach him, stop him from his own stupidity and pain. Then maybe he would live. Maybe._

_She ran faster, her arms pumping and her strides long. She could hear the sirens getting closer and then the park was in view. The street light was shining over him and she watched as she ran._

_The police cars were stopping in front of him, guns out. Yells were heard and then Dallas wiped it out._

_Against her better judgment she stopped to see what they would do._

_Loud piercing shots rang out and she lurched forward again, skidding to a halt right in front of him. He was crumpled on the ground all ready, the light still shone over him and she could see tears in his eyes as he looked up at her._

_Whether from pain or sadness she didn't know._

_But anger was the only thing she could feel._

_"Why?!" she screamed at him, dropping to her knees painfully. "You had me god damn it! You had me and Pony and the gang. You had me especially. But now that you have me you let me go?" she questioned harshly. She wanted to beat on his chest with her fists but she knew better. She was angry but she didn't want to cause him anymore pain._

_"I loved you!" she sobbed out. Her hands shot out and grabbed handfuls of his hair. Tears pilled off her cheeks and landed on his face._

_His eyes were going glazy as he stared up at her. Just stared._

_"Oh god!" she sobbed out, her head throwing back to look up at the lamp. It blinded her but it didn't matter._

_She looked down again, watching as the light in his eyes dwindled and started to fade._

_"I love you Dallas Texas Winston, even if you do leave me." she told him firmly, her sobs subsiding if only for a few minutes._

_"I-" he started but stopped as he gulped. "love you."_

Nothing like an 'I love you' moment as final words, she realized now. A sad smile coming to her face again.

She turned back to the old man, his face was set in stone again as if he, too, was remembering. She turned to his gravestone again and ran her finger over his name.

Beloved, loyal friend.

They were the perfect words to describe him. She was glad the gang had picked it out.

She twirled the ring in her hand again before slipping it back onto her ring finger.

The gold skull seemed to wink at her as she looked at it.

"I love you Dallas Texas Winston." she said into the wind.

She turned to look at the old man again, only to find him gone.

Martha.

Martha was her real name.

She turned sharply in every direction, looking for the old man.

But he was gone.


End file.
